St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-09
At Mass Meeting the Striking Carpen-
ters Again Resolve to Hold Out
For Nine Hours.
What the Union Has to Say on Reading
Of the Action Of the Contractors
On Tuesday.
Contractors Say that Some of the Men
Are Returning to Work---A Co.
Operative Scheme.
Strikers Keep Up Their Efforts to In
duce Men to Join Them in a
Quiet Way.

Over one thousand carpenters at
tended the mass meeting held in Market
hall last night. President Mcguire took
to the resolutions adopted by the con-
tracing builders. He cOntradicted the
statement that the strikers were mostly
malcontents and unknown to the con-
tractors, and thought the resolu-
ton that ten hours should cOnsti-
tute the ''basis'' of days
work, was worded that way to give the
contractors loop-hole to crawl out OF.
He didn't think much of the liberality
of the few contractors who were trying
to dictate to 1900 carpenters" charac-
teriZing it as the ''beSt exhibition of
gall he had ever seen." He named sew
eral contractors who had signed the res
olutiOns and who have nothing to do
with the carpenters or building trades.
1t was an enthusiastic meeting, and
the speech of Mr.. Lucas, of Minneap-
oils, who represented that city in the
last Legislature, was frequently applaud
ed. jim Johnson found Mr.. Lucas
working at his bench in the afternoon
and brought him over to make speech.
The tone of his speech was pretty rad
ical.
MIR. LUCAS POINTS.
He held that shorter hours would not hurt
the contractors. because they would lessen
the supply of idle men on the labor market,
and thereby increase wages, giving the con
tractor chance to put more money III his
own pocket, and making it better for the
merchant. Modern improvements by steam,
machinery, and electricity tend to lower the
price of labor and flood the labor market.
Rent is high, and living expenses increased,
so more wages are necessitated. Organlza-
ton is the only thing that will give the work
ingmen strength to demand and obtain re-
dress.
'The landlordism of America" he
country in the world not barring Ire
land; and" he continued, ''Show me a
mechanic who can save 5000 a year for
five years to buy a $1,000 lot-that's
what the nabobs ask for them
three miles from the city,
and I'll show you prodigy
and miracle" He told his audience
to never surrender, but to eat bread and
water or to pack their SatchelS and go
to Duluth, where 500 carpenters were
needed, or anywhere else rather than
go back to work for less wages or ten
hours time. He spoke an hour.
The following resolution was then
adopted unanimously:
sgniied their determination to be obstinate
in Withholding our just and reasonable de-
mand be it, therefore,
Resolved That we individually and col
lectively pledge ourselves to sustain our de-
mands by every constitutional means at our
disposal, even though it takes all summer to
decide the issue.
A communication from the building
trades council, which had adjourned to
the meeting, was read, stating that the
action of the Carpenters union had been
unanimously pre-indorsed May %.
jim Johnson spoke in favor OF the CO
operative system.
FROM MILWAUKEE.
August j. Metsger, of 470 Rondo
street, then read the following difpatch
from the Milwaukee mass meeting:
The Milwaukee carpenters stand by those
of st. Paul to secure nine hours. Resolved
by q large mass meeting held last night.
A man in the audience got up and de-
sired that the mass meetings be con-
tinued.
Chairman Mcguire said another mass
meeting would probably be held Friday
night. The meeting then adjourned.